pinko

WASHINGTON -- It's day four of exile for Wisconsin's Democratic state senators, who crossed state lines in order to stall the expedited passage of Gov. Scott Walker's ® budget proposal. Although many of the governor's supporters have called on them to come back to Madison, Democrats are ready to stick it out in Rockford, Ill. until Walker agrees to negotiate. (Scroll down for the latest updates) "We'll be here until Gov. Walker decides that he wants to talk," said state Sen. Tim Carpenter (D) in an interview with The Huffington Post on Saturday. He added that so far, the governor refuses to meet with them or even return the phone calls from members of the Democratic caucus. "He's just hard-lined -- will not talk, will not communicate, will not return phone calls," said Carpenter. "In a democracy, I thought we were supposed to talk. But the thing is, he's been a dictator, and just basically said this is the only thing. No amendments, and it's going to be that way." "Clearly, we offered a viable compromise at the end of last week," said state Sen. Robet Wirch (D), who is in northern Illinois, but not in Rockford with other members. "We wanted the clergy to come in and mediate this thing. But the governor just has his feet in cement." Walker's office did not respond to The Huffington Post's request for comment. On Friday, union leaders in Wisconsin agreed to the part of Walker's bill that would require public employees to double their health insurance contributions and contribute 5.8 percent of their salary to their pensions. Walker has argued that concessions by public workers are necessary in order to help the state's financial situation. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/20/wisconsin-democratic-senators-illinois_n_825748.html?utm_source=DailyBrief&utm_campaign=022111&utm_medium=email&utm_content=FeatureTitle&utm_term=Daily+Brief

The Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance found that the average state worker earned $53,703. This is driven by pay for educators, from teachers to school superintendents, who made up 58 percent of all workers. On average, public workers do get compensated more than private-sector workers, but they are more likely to work in white-collar jobs and have a college education or better. A recent study by the liberal Economic Policy Institute noted that 59 percent of Wisconsin’s public-sector workers have at least a four-year college degree, compared to 30 percent of private-sector workers. The study found that when a worker’s education and experience are considered, public-sector workers earn more in benefits but less in salary and less overall in compensation. ------------ Walker, however, has gone much further than this. He estimates his proposal to increase all state employees’ contributions to their pension and health insurance would cost them 8 percent of their salary, or about $4,616. But for many workers, this is on top of the furloughs, meaning they could be losing as much as 11 percent of their salary. (Walker has said he’d like to end the furloughs, which continue through the current biennial budget, but has made no promise to do so.) Even at 8 percent, it’s a huge cut in pay for middle-class families. ------- His approach raises an issue of basic fairness. Union leaders argue that they have regularly given up salary increases in favor of benefit hikes. These negotiations were done in good faith (and mostly, I might add, with Republican governors Tommy Thompson and Scott McCallum over 16 of the last 24 years). Walker is basically saying, sorry, state government doesn’t have to live up to its past promises. Whatever you gave up in salary doesn’t matter; you will now contribute far more to benefits than previously agreed. Indeed, at bottom, his proposal seems as much about breaking the public employee unions as getting givebacks. A vast array of changes he’s proposed will make http://www.milwaukeemagazine.com/murphyslaw/

Is Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker Right About the Unions? Gov. Scott Walker's proposal would limit public union workers' collective bargaining rights By U.S. News Staff Posted: February 17, 2011 Print Share ThisSchool is out in Madison, Wis., today, where teachers and other union members are protesting Gov. Scott Walker’s proposed changes to the state’s labor law. The bill, which cleared the legislature’s budget committee late last night with only Republican support, would effectively limit union workers’ collective salary bargaining rights. Walker introduced it as an effort to close the state’s $3.6 billion budget gap. He said the move will prevent up to 6,000 layoffs for state employees. “We don’t have a lot of options here, folks,” Republican Rep. Alberta Darling said, according to Madison’s Channel 3000 News. “It’s not like we’re choosing to do this. We are broke.” The state Senate is expected to pass the bill, which will then move to the Republican-controlled Assembly. Thousands of protesters have flocked to the State Capitol this week in response, arguing that limiting union bargaining rights strips members of representation. Wisconsin Education Association Council President Mary Bell last night called for all citizens of the state to join the protests in Madison Thursday and Friday. “We are here tonight in the spirit of Martin Luther King calling on our union members and all Wisconsinites to look tonight into their hearts and to listen to their conscience to decide what kind of Wisconsin we want to call our home,” she said to the crowd of protesters. “What happens to the rights of some today endangers the rights of others to come.” U.S. News blogger Leslie Marshall also thinks Walker is being unreasonable. She writes: The argument put forth by Walker is that he has to get his budget in line. But Walker is lying. Statistically, whether it be Wisconsin, Ohio, Nevada, or New Jersey, union workers make on the average 6 percent less than their private sector counterparts. Also statistically, if you look at the budget of Wisconsin, the biggest savings have nothing to do with state workers or collective bargaining; by Walker’s own admission, he could save $165 million just restructuring the current debt. And we know this isn’t about money or savings to the state of Wisconsin or its citizens, it’s politics. http://www.usnews.com/opinion/articles/2011/02/17/is-wisconsin-gov-scott-walker-right-about-the-unions

You don't speak for all Canadians as you seem to suggest. Please confine that inferiority complex to yourself.

"I understand why you don't wish to engage the issue" He did engage the issue. Perhaps you can elaborate on the understanding you have reached.

These people you refer to pay taxes and are active participants in the State of Wiscosin. Why should they give up hard earned benefits because of the reckless behaviour of government?

I would like to challenge your logic as it seems you wish to limit the choice some people might make in belonging to a union. You might ask yourself who benefits the most when the capacity to organize collectively is taken away by the state. It should be obvious that such a state of affairs is to the detriment of working people and a boon to those with wealth and power. I also challenge your assertion that anyone is forced to join a union. I have to assume you are unfamiliar with the certification process as your remarks indicate a lack of understanding with regard to the introduction of a union in a given workplace. Finally the comparisons between abortion and the selection of a school are specious and don't serve your argument well. No one is forced to work at a unionized workplace. The only thing flawed is the reasoning in your post.

You sound like a tough guy. Wanna fight???

Do you usually use wikipedia as a source. By the way what was the amendment in 2002? Your link doesn't say what you have posted.

I have already indicated my citizneship. Are you an American, pinhead.

So you say but why should I believe you. Remember you have already acknowledged your dishonesty.

Such anger from the pinhead. He is gullible enough to believe the nonsense the Bush Administartion spread around.

What is this Patriot Act all about? You know the one that tramples all over the rights of individual Americans.

The Canadian plan was modelled on Shrub's plan.

Get help.

There is a point and it is at the top of your head.

So you say but the rest of the world (the ones who are sane) know otherwise.

Oh I don't think so my dear buddy.

It should be obvious. Don't strain your brain.

As I recall it was Mr. Bush and his henchmen who abrogated the Geneva Conventions and created black prisons throughout the world. Just your kind of guy.

Barry Obama was born in Hawaii.

Now that you mention in it Dumbya should also be waterboarded. I wonder if Bush and Cheney could be renditioned to a place like Syria.

I would like to see Dick Cheney waterboarded.

I certainly could but I respect his privacy. Several years ago he treated my wife and I to a trip there spending a week in Kihea and a week in Kapalua. We had a great time and the weather was perfect.

He will be down there for another week or so.